Cactus Oil : Just More Snake Oil?

I've seen a few questions recently on cactus oil for health benefits.

Here is my take on it.

Cactus oil (made from prickly pear fruit, and/or seeds) is not a good idea.

Some people claim that it is good for heart health. The problem is that the only research done has much more information to take into account than blood lipid levels. The very same study that is cited to say that the blood lipid levels were better, also shows that it caused both the pancreas and the liver to enlarge. Neither one of those is good.

For those interested, here is a link to that study: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6R-4JG5FPR-5&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=9527a6634675484fc5b5a705b4e0d826

So, the cactus oil is like so many of the other vegetables oils. The companies that sell them tell you they are heart healthy, but in reality they can be very damaging to your long term health.

Personally I avoid nearly all extracted oils, including fish oils. I try to only use coconut oil, raw butter, or extra virgin olive oil. Those are the healthy ones.